A Weeks Work!

I have been busy this week tinkering and reading and trying to catch up on sleep that has come easily for a change! I love cigar boxes to keep my stitching things in. My dear friends, Elaine and Darlene, have such courage and they go in one of our local cigar shops every so often and get empty boxes for me!! Aren't they darling friends? I love this new one Elaine got for me at her embarrassment. She told me when she pulled it out of the middle of a stack...the whole thing came down on her! Oops! But, she just graciously took the treasure and scrammed...I love her gutsy ways. That's why she's my friend. This little treasure box is full of pieces needing to be finished by trimming out with silk ribbons and beads. Here is the first of Grammie's Valentine Huggie Bears for my grandbabies. I made this one for my darling granddaughter, Amelia, who lives in NYC. She is 6 years old and a beautiful little girl who loves cuddly things and American girl dolls, princess and fairy things, all things pink and frilly. She's a girly girl and I just love to send her things to cuddle with. Amelia has cerebral palsy so she doesn't talk much, but she has a radiant smile, a beautiful character and spirit and disposition, and she is just beautiful physically. She's the heart of my heart. She goes to a very special school in NYC where she is learning to get out or her wheelchair and walk! And, she's learning to use a computer to communicate. Amelia adores her Daddy, my son - Frank - and is expecting a new baby sister in May!! :) Progress this week on my Heaven & Earth Designs RR block for Lyndsay's piece. I'm really trying to get this piece out by the end or middle of February, so I'm spending more time on it than anything else. Actually, to the detriment of my Cirque. Most of the tiny, different threads are in this upper-most section. Once I get to the face, the threads don't vary much, so it will go faster. I love working on it, and highly recommend the HAED Quick Stitches if you want to get your "feet wet." http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/

I don't know why this pic came out a little fuzzy...but here's my progress this week on Leslie's piece in our Neighborhood RR. It's coming along! Since it's on the lighter fabric, and not the black as the original recommends (June Morning chart), I'm going to choose a different color for the background of the door and window frames this week. Have to see what strikes me...
And, finally, my scavanger hunt for papers and pretties to make my paper dress for "Queens and Harpies: Altered Paper Dresses with Panache" RR. I chose Marie Antoinette, naturally, and will make her up this week.
Go see Jessica! She chose Madame Pompadour! LOL I love it that we are so different! http://everythingexpectant.blogspot.com/ Our blogsite to see what we're all up to can be found at http://queensandharpies.blogspot.com/ Again, if you'd like to join us, please email me: interiorsbydeb2@aol.com

This has been too long an entry, but I'm having a HOPE-FILLED January, as planned. I'm reading "War and Peace" and have mixed feelings about it, but so enjoy reading and commenting with my group online. Tolstoy was such a chauvanist!! That's hard for me... I think women are of the highest order of humankind, and it's a pity that Tolstoy missed that insight. Thus, it's difficult for me not to see his intelligence and "genius" as flawed.

My thoughts this week were about the brevity of life, and how precious our relationships are. I watched the old movie (you know what an old movie hound I am!), called "Trip to Bountiful." What a movie to sink into your heart. In a nutshell, it's about an elderly woman who lives with her only son and daughter-in-law. She is miserable living there, treated worse than a servant - her DIL resents her - her son feels in the middle - and she just "want(s) to go home to Bountiful," which represents life and freedom to her. She runs away to go "home." The trip and what she finds along the way are so poignant and meaningful. Very thought-provoking movie with all the symbolism you can imagine.

Have a wonderful week full of precious, memory-making times with those you love.

This week, I especially appreciate the friendships of: Giulia, Heather, Nicole, Harmien, Elaine, and my precious Jessica! Thank you for your kind words and deeds this week! Hugs and love, Deb/Mutti